1709 in Great Britain

Events from the year 1709 in the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Incumbents

*Monarch - Anne of Great Britain

Events

* January to March - Unusually cold weather brings floating ice into the North Sea.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 207-208|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* 2 February - Alexander Selkirk is rescued from shipwreck on a desert island, inspiring the book "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe.cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
* 12 April - first edition of society magazine "Tatler" published.
* 30 July - War of the Spanish Succession: Capture of Tournai by John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy.citebook|last=Williams|first=Hywel|title=Cassell's Chronology of World History|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2005|isbn=0-304-35730-8|pages=292]
* 11 September - War of the Spanish Succession: Battle of Malplaquet - Great Britain, Netherlands and Austria led by the Duke of Marlborough defeat France. The song "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" is based on the French song "Marlbrough s'en va-t-en guerre" composed following this battle.
* 9 October - War of the Spanish Succession: British army captures Mons.

Undated

* Enaction of Britain's first copyright law, the Statute of Anne.
* Abraham Darby pioneers the first coke-consuming blast furnace.
* The earliest known match involving county teams played between Kent and Surrey. [cite web|url=http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/icons-timeline/1700-1750|title=Icons, a portrait of England 1700-1750|accessdate=2007-08-24]
* Construction of Marlborough House begins.

Births

* 17 January - George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton, politician (died 1773)
* 18 September - Samuel Johnson, writer and lexicographer (died 1784)
* 2 November - Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, (died 1759)
* John Cleland, English novelist (died 1789)

Deaths

* 24 January - George Rooke, English admiral (born 1650)
* 15 February - John Philips, poet (born 1676)
* 9 March - Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, English diplomat (born c. 1638)
* 30 June - Edward Lhuyd, scientist (born 1660)
* 17 July - Robert Bolling, English settler in Virginia (born 1646)
* 9 October - Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, English mistress of Charles II of England (born 1640)
* 23 November - William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, Favourite of William III of England (born 1649, Netherlands)

References

ee also